Urban space as a music scene: Belgrade stories

Abstract

Viewed from a diachronic perspective, street musicians represent one of the characteristics of city life globally. The focus of this research has been on music practices on the streets of Belgrade over the last four decades. The street is seen as a sort of alternative music scene. Through their activities, musicians contribute to building the city identity, while influencing the passers-by who come in contact with them. This paper analyzes the problems faced by street musicians, as well as the effects of various social factors on their activity and genre commitment. Particular consideration is given to the appearance of musicians performing classical music on the street as a kind of rebellion against the distastefulness.

Keywords

• street musicians
• belgrade
• street music scene